Tips for Filing an Insurance Claim After Flooding in Florida

Tip One: Act Immediately — Florida’s Deadlines Are Unforgiving

The single biggest mistake Florida homeowners make after a flood is waiting too long to report their claim. Both Florida law and the terms of flood insurance policies impose strict deadlines, and missing them can result in a reduced payout or a complete denial of your claim.

What Are the Deadlines for Filing a Flood Insurance Claim in Florida?

Under an NFIP policy, you are required to file a Proof of Loss, a sworn statement of the amount you are claiming, within 60 days of the date of loss, unless FEMA has issued a specific deadline extension for a declared disaster. This is an absolute deadline under the terms of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy, and courts have historically enforced it strictly. Missing the Proof of Loss deadline has caused homeowners to lose claims worth tens of thousands of dollars and more.

For private flood insurance policies, the filing deadline is governed by your specific policy language, which may be shorter or longer than the NFIP standard. Read your policy carefully or have an attorney review it immediately after a loss.

For homeowners’ insurance claims involving water damage that may be covered under your standard policy, Florida Statute §627.70132 requires that claims for damage caused by a hurricane or windstorm, which frequently accompanies flooding events, be reported within three years of the date of loss. For non-hurricane-related water damage claims, the standard limitations period applies. While these windows may seem generous, the practical reality is that the sooner you file, the stronger your documentation will be, the less time insurers have to dispute the cause of damage, and the sooner you can begin repairs.

What Should I Do in the First 24 to 48 Hours After a Flood?

The actions you take immediately after flooding begins or as soon as it is safe to return to your home can make or break your insurance claim. As soon as it is safe to do so, your priority should be to call your insurance company or flood servicer to report the claim and obtain your claim number. From there, thoroughly document every inch of damage before removing water or beginning any cleanup, take steps to prevent further damage (called “mitigation”), and begin keeping a detailed record of every expense related to the flood event.

Tip Two: Document Everything Before You Touch Anything

If there is one piece of advice that every property insurance attorney in Florida would give unanimously, it is this: photograph and video everything before you move, remove, or repair a single item. Insurance adjusters cannot pay for damage they cannot verify, and damage that has already been cleaned up, discarded, or repaired without documentation is very easy for an insurer to dispute or underpay.

How Should I Document Flood Damage for an Insurance Claim?

Walk through your entire home, every room, every closet, the garage, the attic, the crawl space, and the exterior, and take detailed photographs and video footage of all visible damage. Capture water-stain lines on walls, which indicate the high-water mark and help establish the depth and severity of flooding. Photograph all damaged personal property in place before it is moved. Document damaged flooring, cabinetry, drywall, insulation, HVAC equipment, appliances, and structural elements separately and in detail. If it is safe to do so, photograph your electrical panel, water heater, and any mechanical systems that were submerged.

Do not forget the outside of your home. Photograph your foundation, exterior walls, landscaping, fencing, and any outbuildings or detached structures. If you have a damaged vehicle, photograph it as well; it may be covered under a separate auto insurance policy or, in some cases, a personal property rider.

Should I Keep Damaged Items or Can I Throw Them Away?

You should preserve damaged items for inspection wherever safely possible. The adjuster assigned to your claim will want to see damaged belongings, flooring samples, and building materials. If items must be removed for health or safety reasons, such as flooring saturated with contaminated floodwater, photograph and label them before disposal and, where feasible, retain small samples for the adjuster to inspect. Never throw away damaged property simply because it looks unsalvageable. Let the adjuster make that determination.

Tip Three: Understand What Your Florida Flood Policy Actually Covers

One of the most common sources of disputed flood claims in Florida is the mismatch between what homeowners think their flood policy covers and what it actually covers. Taking time to understand your policy before you file or having an attorney explain it to you can help you avoid underfilling your claim and leaving money on the table.

What Does an NFIP Policy Cover in Florida?

A standard NFIP policy is divided into two separate components: building coverage and contents coverage. These are distinct coverage types that must be purchased separately, and they are subject to separate coverage limits.

Building coverage under an NFIP policy covers the physical structure of your home, including the foundation, electrical and plumbing systems, HVAC equipment, water heaters, refrigerators, and built-in appliances, permanently installed carpeting over unfinished floors, permanently installed paneling, wallboard, bookcases, and cabinets, window blinds, detached garages, and fuel tanks. Contents coverage covers personal belongings such as clothing, furniture, electronics, curtains, portable appliances, and certain valuables up to specified limits.

Critically, NFIP policies do not cover additional living expenses (ALE) if you are displaced from your home. They also do not cover landscaping, swimming pools, decks, patios, fences, septic systems, or personal property stored in basements. If you have a basement or enclosure, coverage for items located there is severely limited under the standard NFIP policy. These coverage gaps are a major reason many Florida flood victims find their NFIP settlements far short of their actual losses.

Does Private Flood Insurance Offer Better Coverage Than NFIP in Florida?

Private flood insurance policies in Florida can offer significantly broader coverage than NFIP policies, including higher coverage limits, additional living expense coverage, coverage for basement contents, and faster claims processing. However, private flood policies vary enormously from one insurer to another, and their terms must be read carefully. If you purchased a private flood policy, review the declarations page and policy terms carefully before filing or bring the policy to an attorney for review.

Tip Four: Protect Your Property From Further Damage — But Document First

Florida law and your flood insurance policy both require you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage to your property after a covered loss. This is called the duty to mitigate. Failing to take reasonable mitigation steps can give your insurer grounds to reduce your claim by the amount of additional damage that occurred because of your inaction.

Practical mitigation steps after flooding include removing standing water as soon as it is safe to do so, running dehumidifiers and fans to begin drying the structure, boarding up openings that would allow additional water or weather intrusion, tarping a damaged roof, and moving undamaged personal property away from affected areas.

The critical balance here is this: you must document the damage before you mitigate, not after. Take your photographs and video first. Then mitigate. And keep every receipt for every piece of rented equipment, every service hired, and every material purchased, because those mitigation costs may be reimbursable under your policy.

Tip Five: Be Prepared for the Adjuster Visit — And Know Your Rights

After you report your claim, your insurer will assign an adjuster to inspect your property. For NFIP claims, this will be a Write-Your-Own (WYO) adjuster or an independent adjuster working on behalf of the program. For private flood claims, the adjuster will be employed by or contracted with your private insurer.

What Should I Expect During a Flood Insurance Adjuster Inspection in Florida?

The adjuster’s job is to assess the cause of the loss, the scope of the damage, and the insurer’s liability under your specific policy. It is not the adjuster’s job to be your advocate. Adjusters may miss damage, misclassify covered damage as excluded damage, or underestimate the cost of repairs. This is not always intentional, but the outcome is the same: a settlement offer that does not reflect your actual loss.

Be present during the inspection. Walk the adjuster through every area of your home that was affected. Point out damage that might be easy to overlook, such as damage inside walls, under flooring, or in mechanical systems. If you have a contractor you trust, having them present during the adjuster’s visit can be invaluable.

Can I Dispute the Adjuster’s Assessment?

Yes, and in many cases, you should. If the adjuster’s estimate seems too low, if they have missed items, or if they have characterized covered damage as excluded, you have every right to challenge that determination. For NFIP claims, the dispute process involves submitting documentation to support a revised Proof of Loss before the deadline. For private flood claims, your policy will outline the available dispute resolution mechanisms, which may include appraisal, mediation, or litigation.

Under Florida Statute §627.7015, homeowners insurance policyholders have a right to participate in a mediation process to resolve disputed claims. While NFIP claims are governed by federal law and have a different dispute structure, the principle that you do not have to accept an insurer’s initial determination applies broadly.

Tip Six: Keep a Detailed Record of All Expenses and Communications

From the moment you report your flood claim until your final payment is issued, maintain a meticulous paper trail. This record is your most powerful tool if a dispute arises.

Your claims file should include a written log of every phone call with your insurer, including the date, time, name of the representative, and a summary of what was discussed; copies of every written communication sent and received; all photographs and video footage organized by date and location; your contractor estimates and invoices; receipts for all mitigation expenses, temporary repairs, hotel stays, restaurant meals, and any other out-of-pocket expenses caused by the flood; and copies of your insurance policy, declarations page, and any endorsements or riders.

Tip Seven: Understand the Difference Between Flood Damage and Wind Damage — It Matters Enormously

For Florida homeowners who suffer losses during a hurricane or tropical storm, the distinction between wind damage and flood damage is one of the most consequential questions in the entire claims process. It is also one of the most frequently disputed.

Your standard homeowner’s insurance policy covers wind damage but not flood damage. Your NFIP or private flood policy covers flood damage but not wind damage. When a hurricane tears the roof off your home, and rain then saturates the interior, questions arise about how much of the damage was caused by wind, water intrusion, or rising floodwater, and each insurer will argue that the other is responsible.

This “wind versus water” dispute is a major source of underpaid and denied claims in Florida, particularly after major storms. Documenting the sequence and nature of damage as precisely as possible, including weather data, neighboring property damage, and contractor assessments of how the water entered, is critical in these situations. An experienced Florida property insurance attorney can help you coordinate claims across multiple insurers and ensure that neither one uses the other as an excuse to underpay.